Transfering music

[Sonyme]

I am about to replace an ancient desk top pc with a 17" laptop. I envisage no problems with transfering file within Works and Office and I have most installation discs for other applications. But!! I have more than 1000 music tracks in Itunes library and have been trying to transfer these to USB memory sticks but can't get anywhere.A lot of this music is irreplaceble - American Big Bands from 1928 to1948 and I don't now have all the cd's, vynil and tapes where they came from.
I have an ethernet crossover cable which I believe can be used for data transfer but am not sure of the how to with this.
The new PC will have Vista and ideally I would like to transfer to Windows Media library.
Has any one any ideas ?

[Postdog]

I have an external drive which I just plug in to whatever PC I want. They are reasonably cheap now, and handy as a back up of precious stuff just in case something goes wrong sometime, so that might be an idea for you.

[Sonyme]

Thanks for the suggestion, but the ;problem is with Itunes (I think). If I go to Itunes library, select all and select export to whatever drive it does not work the files are transferred but not as music fikes and won't play. select all and copy doesn't work either. It looks as if I will have to finish up doing what I didn't want to do - Sit and grow a beard while I back each track up to what will probably be 50 CD's

[Sonyme]

And of course sit and transfer them all to the new PC. There has to be a better way - or isn't there?

[Ethel]

And people complain about Microsoft having a monopoly.

There must be an easier way. What format are your tracks saved in?

[Sonyme]

I don't know what format Itunes uses but it will be whatever the default is. It is not WMA and I don't think its MP3. It is not an application of choice but the system I use to transfer tape and vynil to Pc will only transfer to Itunes (which is of course an Apple application).
I think i am becoming resigned to living in the study for a fortnight.

[Postdog]

Sorry. I had a feeling that itunes had something to do with what your basic problem was. That's why I have never had an ipod - when I have installed Itunes it has just taken over, and I don't want that.

Have you tried re assigning the default programme (media player) for these files.

[Lakitu]

I'm clearly missing something here.

Postdog, whst has using an iPod got to do with storing your music on your PC?

Sonyme, why can't you just buy an EHD and transfer everything to that?

[Sonyme]

Whether I buy an EHD or try to transfer to memory sticks or new PC there is no option in Itunes to transfer other than by copying to CD - a long winded procedure which puts precisely nothing on the new PC without another long drawn out affair.
There is an option to export library which I have tried but that just puts a plain text listing of track tiltle, orchestra and album from which it came but no means of playing any track..
Tha copy option doesn't work either, and the transfer to disc will only record to the CD drive D - it won't recognise drives E,F,G or H.
I don't really like Itunes, but a lot of my music came from tapes and records and the Tape and Vynil converter applications automatically load into Itunes by default which cannot be overridden. They will install Itunes if it is not on your system.

.

[BillySugger]

Agree with Lakitu or maybe I'm missing something as well .

[Ethel]

If you go to Start - my music

What do you see?

[Postdog]

Right, for those missing something.

My PC is connected to my stereo, and from my PC I play my MP3's using a jukebox programme, the now departed musicmatch - still works OK, just no newer versions now. That said, I can also play them in media player and other players.

I foolishly installed an apple update once, which installed Itunes along with the video player. Trouble was, the itunes part took over my MP3 collection entirely, did something to the files, and as a result would not play using my juke box or any other of my usual ways. Why I don't know. Fine if I only listened on an ipod, but I didn't, so it had to be uninstalled again.

Just my personal choice - I will not have any programme that "hijacks" my choices, and this did.

By the way, the suggestion about the ehd was the first one made - I suggest the answers are read as well as the question.

[mr_spencer]

This sounds long winded but might be worth a try:
http://www.kadavy.net/blog/posts/transfer-your -itunes-library-and-song-ratings-from-one-comp uter-to-another/

[Sonyme]

Start My Music gives a display of folders, - one of which is Itunes and some are albums installed in Windowsw Media Player 11 Library.Click play on any of these albums and they play in Windows Media Player.
I had Philips Media Manager which transferred musi wirelessly from Pc to HI Fi downstairs but Itunes seems to have nobbled this as well.It doesn't work at all now(It accessed the music files in Windows Media library)

[Ethel]

Right click on any track in iTunes, and click properties.

That will tell you the format. If it is mp4, for example, you could

Start - search

and type .mp4 (or whatever your format is)

All your tracks should now be displayed. Select all and copy to your usb, or external hard drive

[Sonyme]

Right click on any track does not give any option for properties or any other Windows options, just a list of options unique ti Itunes.

[Lakitu]

I'm still missing something, why are you trying to transfer the music from the iTunes programme?

I've had my iTunes for a few years and when I eventually put it all on an EHD, I went to the area in my laptop where the file is stored (in this case it was the C:\) and dragged and dropped the files into my new EHD drive.

On my new laptop, I installed iTunes, told it I wanted it to read from the EHD and that was that.

Postdog, I'm terribly sorry you appear to have taken offence at my apparent dumbness.

[MrBounty]

If you have all your music playing through iTunes, then all the music (should) be kept in the iTunes folder on your C-Drive.....usually to be found:

C:\Documents and Settings\[USER NAME]\My Documents\My Music\iTunes

There you will find all the music you have put into iTunes, where you can now copy to a data stick, ehd, etc and put onto your new laptop.

If you have an EHD and want to keep all your music on there instead of the laptop, when you open iTunes on the laptop, you will need to set it to look at the EHD instead of the C-Drive.

[Sonyme]

Where do you drag a file to? When Itunes is running the screen is completely filled. There is no part of deskyop to drag to and drop. I dont't have an EHD( at present) but surely USb drives E, F etc. serve the sa,me purpose and the files just won't travel

[Lakitu]

OK, close iTunes down completely, you don't need to be in there.

Open up your 'My Computer' and click into your C drive and follow the path that Mr Bounty has given in his response. When you get there you should see all the music you have in your iTunes, usually listed in Artist order. Hold down Ctrl and press A and everything ill be highlighted, right click your mouse and select copy. You can then paste the copied files wherever you want, be is an EHD or DVD.

If you're tying to copy it all on a USB stick, the chances are you're trying to put more on than it has memory for, which is why it's better to go to EHD or DVD, which holds far more than CD.

[MrBounty]

You dont have to have iTunes running to do this.

Close iTunes and follow the instructions i gave.

Chances are, if you have a lot of music, then you wont be able to copy it all onto a USB drive, but you could do it a bit at a time.

Dont copy and paste onto your desktop, because then you'll just be putting it from one place on your PC to another, and you want to copy it from the iTunes folder to your new laptop.

Copy the iTunes folder from your old PC onto a USB drive, then install iTunes on your new laptop, and copy all the music from your USB drive into the iTunes folder on the laptop.

Any clearer?